Phillip Island &the Penguin Parade

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Penguin Parade

Phillip Island

Phillip Island is around 140km from Melbourne, and has a resident population of around 5,000, which swells during the summer. This a great place for an extended stay or simply to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a weekend. It has lots to do in its own right or it can be a base for further exploration of the Gippsland area, with trips to Wilsons Promontory, through the Strzelecki Ranges or further afield.

How to get there:

A number of tour companies arrange day tours taking you around the island to all the popular destinations, including the penguin parade in the evening.
You can also easilly drive there from Melbourne following the South Western Arterial (M1), thence the South Gippsland Highway (M420) to the Bass Highway (A420). Phillip Island map

The island itself is reached by a causeway/bridge between San Remo and Newhaven.

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The Penguin Parade:

Like clockwork, shortly after sunset every night of the year, fairy penguins leave the water after a day's fishing and march to their burrows at the back of Summerland Beach.

Their timing is incredible; as soon as the sun sets below the horizon, small groups, which have congregated in the shallows, head up the beach. In early summer the spectacle is heightened by the squealing of chicks waiting to be fed. The viewing areas, reached by elevated boardwalks, line a strip of sand, and in peak season up to 4,000 people will be there. On a bluff above the beach is Penguin Parade Visitor Centre, featuring a simulated underwater environment, an audiovisual, and a souvenir shop.

The penguins are wild and the time for their appearance can sometimes vary. Make sure you bring warm windproof clothes and something warm to sit on, as the wait sometimes can be long.

Information:

The penguin parade visitor centre is located on Phillip Island, about 2 hours drive south east of Melbourne.

The center is open daily from 10 a.m. and is busiest an hour before sunset. Admission to the center and for viewing the penguins is adult $7, child $3; just to the center it's $2.50 and $1, respectively (tel. 03-5956-8300). Website: http://www.penguins.org.au/

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TAKING PICTURES camera
OF THE PENGUINS

If you intend to take pictures of the penguins, make sure you bring light sensitive film. There are some lights in the area, but not strong enough to allow you to use normal film. The use of flashlight is prohibited as it can scare the penguins back to the ocean.

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Seal Rock

A colony of fur seals live at Seal Rocks a little offshore.

Bike Racing

If you like the thrill of racing, then the Grand Prix Race track will give you all of that and more. Come along to the motor cycle Grand Prix and car racing events that's on at the Island throughout the year.